The present invention relates to the field of installations and apparatus for the sugarcoating or encasing of products, and more precisely the cleaning of the distribution or proportioning manifolds for the encasing or sugarcoating substances.
Installations for sugarcoating or encasing, particularly for the food or pharmaceutical industry, use rotors of substantially cylindrical shape in which the products to be encased (for example almonds, peanuts, chewing gum, chocolate, etc . . . ) are moved by rotation of the cylinder.
During this rotation, alternate additions or products such as sugar syrup, liquid chocolate, various powders (for example sugar glazing, powdered sugar, starch, xylitol, maltitol, etc . . . ) followed by drying, are carried out according to the recipes for the different products.
So as to render the process automatic, the cylinders generally comprise in their central portion different systems for proportioning such as a manifold for the distribution and proportioning of the syrup, the chocolate, the powder and glazing products, as well as a supply sheath for air permitting blowing in drying air.
During the encasing step (sugarcoating) the products to be encased are placed in rotation and mixed, for example, by agitating blades fixed in the cylinder.
During the addition period, the encasing products (such as syrup, chocolate, . . . ) and the interiors (or lozenges) stick more or less to the mixing blades and on the walls of the cylinder, and then detach. Some of this thus sticks to the various systems in place in the cylinder. The same is true for all particles of sugar syrup, chocolate or powder which are pulverized on the lozenges.
After each production batch, it is necessary carefully to wash the interior of the cylinder, the distribution and proportioning manifold, the ventilating sheath and the agitating manes, for example by injection of water or a cleaning and/or disinfecting solvent. This can be carried out by washing nozzles disposed within the rotor, but act after each production. However, it has been seen that all the proportioning system cannot be correctly washed particularly in the case of chocolate or powder.
To overcome this serious present problem in a context of the production of foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals, certain materials comprise systems permitting to take off all or a portion of the proportioned materials on various types of supports, so as to carry out manual cleaning and maintenance of the system.
This remains a delicate and dirty operation which requires much time and specialized equipment.
It is moreover necessary to clean the internal support of the manifold which is for example in the form of an internal fixed slideway, to which the encasing products stick during rotation of the rotor.
The present invention therefore has for its object to overcome the problem of washing, by proposing an effective cleaning device, whilst seeking to limit the number of elements fixed within the cylindrical rotor.
The present invention also has for its object to provide a simple outlet system for the distribution and proportioning manifold to maintain and adjust the latter.
These objects are achieved by a sugarcoating or encasing installation for products, by rotation of a cylindrical rotor, comprising a distribution and proportioning manifold, mounted on support and guide rails outside the motor, permitting its total extraction from the rotor for the washing phase and its emplacement without any internal support within said rotor during the operating phase, characterized in that the rails are formed by two horizontal beams, parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, which is also the longitudinal axis of the manifold, fixed at one of their ends to the chassis of the rotor and at the other end to a transverse horizontal bar supported by at least one foot, in that at the level of one of its ends, the manifold is secured to a parallelepipedal frame, which also supports the closure means for the rotor and which slides along horizontal rails and in that washing nozzles are disposed above the manifold at the level of the guide rails.
Thanks to the position of the external support, the distribution and proportioning manifold for the encasing products is thus entirely extractable manually or automatically by a simple sliding on the axis of the rotor. Such a device makes unnecessary any support fixed within the cylinder, and hence considerably facilitates cleaning. In the washing position, the manifold is aligned with the axis of the rotor.
The supply passages for products, most often in liquid form, for encasing or sugarcoating, are preferably flexible conduits connected to said manifold.
Preferably, the device comprises an access platform, disposed below the manifold when withdrawn from the rotor, to carry out maintenance and/or adjustment of the proportioners.
The platform can support a retractable or telescopic washing basin, which, in the washing phase, is positioned so as to surround the assembly of the manifold and the ventilating sheath.
The washing nozzles can be supplied for example by pressurized water associated with one or several proportioning pumps permitting the injection of specific cleaning or disinfecting products.
The transverse horizontal bar at the end of the two horizontal portions is preferably supported by a single central vertical foot, thereby permitting activity around said manifold without hindering the personnel.
The installation according to the invention can be used for the sugarcoating or encasing of food products, pharmaceutical products or seeds.